Posts Tagged ‘medalist’

San Francisco-basedGirlVentures is all about “Empowering adolescent girls to Develop and Express their Strengths.” Now, they have all kinds of programs that would have your tween/teen outdoors in teams on Mt. Tam and other places, but the point is not to teach girls outdoor survival skills. Rather, the point is to teach leadership skills in a safe, risk-taking environment.

So, check out this morning’s “Empower! Breakfast Fundraiser” down at the Palace Hotel (that Grand Old San Francisco Hotel that always seems a cut above the other GOSFH’s).

We’re done with the the wind-up, now here’s the pitch:

“Join us at our 2010 Empower Breakfast Fundraiser as we honor our community and hear about the life-changing experiences of girls who have participated in our outdoor education programs. Hear also from our keynote speaker, Jennifer Azzi, an Olympic gold medalist and Women’s basketball Hall of Famer, while enjoying a scrumptious breakfast and networking with your friends.”

And here are a few of the Venturing Girls themselves: Shania Reynolds, Kaijika Kendall, Emma Winer, and Yesenia Herrera listening for the next raffle winner to chirp up after each of them spoke to the crowd about what their experiences at GirlVentures programs meant to them:

There were hundreds on hand this AM on the first floor of the Palace:

So, maybe this is the charity you’ve been looking for. Check out their website.

San Francisco, October 25, 2010 – Jennifer Azzi, Women’s basketball coach at the University of San Francisco and one of the world’s top athletes, will be the keynote speaker at GirlVentures’ Empower! Breakfast, 8-9 AM, Thursday, October 28 at the Palace Hotel, 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco. Azzi is described as one of the best basketball players of all time—male or female. Before winning the Olympic gold medal in women’s basketball in 1996, she won an NCAA Basketball Championship at Stanford University, and was honored with both the Naismith and Wade Trophies. Azzi is also a sought-after motivational speaker on topics ranging from handling failure to dreaming big, as well as a master at building leadership skills, a key goal of all GirlVentures’ programs.

Another inspiring highlight of the breakfast will be several GirlVentures’ graduates sharing their own poignant stories of friendship, determination and courage.

About GirlVentures:

GirlVentures is dedicated to empowering pre-adolescent girls from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds to develop and express their strengths. Girls explore themselves and their world through a Leadership Progression Model of challenging outdoor experiences such as camping, sea kayaking, and rock climbing. GirlVentures offers after-school and summer programs for girls entering middle school and high school, and encourages risk-taking in a safe and supportive environment. GirlVentures is committed to helping girls sustain the self-confidence that they risk losing during their teenage years. Innovative programs, which have served 3,000 Bay Area girls in the past 14 years, are designed to help each participant discover and sustain her true self. Girls develop and express their strengths by coming together with other girls and women mentors to work and play, try new things, solve challenges and resolve conflicts. The GirlVentures’ Leadership Progression Model is aimed at building on the leadership skills girls learn in each program as they enter a new grade.

In recognition of Japan’s national holiday celebrating children, the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California is presenting its annual Children’s Day Festival. There will be entertainment, food, games, and hands-on arts & crafts activities for youngsters. Bring your family and friends and enjoy the fun! Admission is free.